Could you clarify how you are renaming the styles?

The built-in style names can't really be replaced with custom names; instead, what happens is that Word creates a style name alias.

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Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

It doesn't matter what name I rename it as, it doesn't work properly. I tested it with stuff like Test123 and it still didn't work. What I do is copy the style (because, yes, you are correct, it can't be changed) and the copied one can be changed. But then it doesn't work properly.


What I do is highlight the word that's got the proper style setting (but has the default name), then click on the arrow button at the side of the style ribbon. It pulls up the option to Create a Style. I click that and rename it. Then it looks right. Until I copy and paste. Then it reverts to blue and wrong font.

The Built-In styles cannot truly be renamed. You can add aliases to the names but Word will treat them as the same style. The built-in heading styles are special.
Why Use Word's Built-In Heading Styles? by Shauna Kelly
If your Dropdown styles are not renamed built-in heading styles but rather based on the built-in styles they retain some of the characteristics of the built-in styles.
How styles in Microsoft Word cascade by Shauna Kelly

Check the "based on" settings in each of your custom styles.

It appears that you should be changing the Theme Fonts and perhaps colors to match what you want. All built-in styles use these.
[Quick] Style Sets and Word Themes in Microsoft Word

If you do, save that as a custom Theme that you can reapply to other documents if needed.

Thanks! I will read through those and try them.

Also note that, when copying from one document to another, using the option to retain original formatting, Word does not paste the styles, it uses direct formatting. When pasting using destination styles, it will retain style-based formatting, using style definitions in the destination document.

No, if I am understanding you correctly, the style still doesn't format correctly when I copy from one document to another, even though the style is set up the same too.

• Use the Organizer to copy styles from one document to another*
• Macro to copy styles from one template to another - Microsoft Community
• Working with Styles by Tony Jollans, MVP

* When you copy a style that uses Theme fonts / colors into a document, if the original document/template and the receiving document template are not using the same Word Theme, the styles may look different even though having the same style definition.

If a style is based on another style and copied, it will pick up the inherited characteristics from the style on which it is based in the receiving document. See first link about this.

Is revision tracking turned on?

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Ah, got it.

Sorry, I thought I had responded to this a long time ago.


No, it is not turned on, that I know of.

I think I've got it fixed now. Thank you all!